Becoming A New Mom … All Over Again

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Just two-and-a-half years ago, my son Henry was born. As a first time mom, I was figuring (and googling) things out as they happened – how much he should eat, how he would sleep, what his poop color meant and so on. Pretty quickly, I felt I had the newborn phase figured out. I found my groove as he grew into an infant and I was able to go with the flow fairly confidently. I was even giving new mothers solid advice and baby product recommendations.

becoming a mom all over again, with two kids!When my daughter arrived, just this past February, I thought, “I got this. I’ve done this. Piece of cake, really.”

Ummm… not!

Once we got home with our newborn, I realized just how hard it was. How new it all felt all over again. A different baby with different needs and preferences. Everything that “worked” with Henry didn’t necessarily work for her.

She is nursing, I exclusively pumped for my son.
He loved to nap alone, she is a contact napper.
We could get out more with him in the California sun, she was born in the winter during a pandemic.
He loved to be swaddled, she’d rather wiggle freely.

I felt like a new mom all over again. The anxiety set in. There I was, googling all the same things over again, looking for new answers and greater support. All my old tricks, gone. All my knowledge, somehow vanished in such a short time. Now I was the mom looking for comfort and new baby product recommendations, messaging friends near and far for encouragement.

Funny how that works, huh?

There’s nothing like a new baby to give you the biggest life reality check. It sure is cuddles and sweetness. But it’s also sleeplessness and anxiety. And, guess what? It can be both and that’s okay.

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